One of the funniest mysteries - Tara's father is sort of a demented Dortmunder. If you like rooting for and at the same time laughing at the bad guys give it a try. Is a hoot. ( )

http://www.bookspotcentral.com/2006/1... ( )

It is always hard when a child's parent chooses a career for him, trains him early and does not allow any other job opportunities. It is an age old problem of parents' deciding what is best for their children with no discussion. But when your father is a psychopathic bank robber it really limits your future plans.

When 9 year old Tara's mother dies, her father begins to train her in his career field, in the art of robbing banks. Her first attempt at intimidating bank guards ends when she misses her shot and shoots her father in the foot. But after that she becomes an accomplished and successful partner with her father for many years of bank heists. But at age 23 she wonders if this is enough, no friends, no permanent place to live and, most of all, no social life. And as her father becomes more and more out of control and shooting innocent people becomes common (in spite of "Rule #16 Change your MO about as often as you change your underwear.") Tara is feeling that maybe it is time for a career change. Scoping out their latest bank job leads Tara and her father to a small, rural Arizona town (Rule #6- Only rob banks in the sticks.) . There Tara meets Max, the wayward son of the local sheriff, and it is instant attraction. After the bank robbing follows the pattern of blood and death, Tara decides it is time to leave her father. But with a unforgiving, psychopathic father, this is not going to be easy. Bonnie and Clyde had it easy compared to these two. Tara and Max flee but followed by Wyatt who is pursued by ex-partners, the sheriff and the FBI.

47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers is a great, sprawling adventure. With his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, Troy Cook has written a fun, action filled story of a family gone wrong. He is able to win the readers' affection for the most motley bunch of characters ever put down in one story. Who can not sympathize with poor Tara, the good daughter who is only doing what daddy taught her to do? Cook keeps the action anchored with the clever use of the 47 Rules and the tape recorded riffs of Max. His background in the movie business is evident in his ability to keep the action moving between scenes in the present and past to form a whole.

This first novel should be on all crime, mystery or humor lover's list of summer reads. It is a creative debut of a talented new fiction writer. In a genre packed full of entries, this work needs to be recognized as a ground breaking use of humorous situations combined with strong, sympathetic characters encased in a crime thriller. ( )

http://lesasbookcritiques.blogspot.co... ( )

This is one of those not-truly-good books that nonetheless was a hoot to read.

Here's the setup: Tara and her daddy Wyatt have been robbing banks according to his time-tested system for the last thirteen years. Now 22, Tara is realizing that Wyatt has gone from from mildly crazy to downright psycho, as the 47th rule has been boiled down to, "Take 'em out." There's simply too much bloodshed, which is taking the fun out of bank robbery. On the eve of their greatest heist Tara meets Max, and it's pure chemistry. Can she escape her daddy's clutches? Can she turn this sheriff's son into a bank robber? With her psychopathic daddy, his upright, self-help-book-reading daddy, and the FBI on their tail, how can Tara and Max fail to find true happiness?

And the review: While this novel would have benefited from some judicious editing and would never be mistaken for great literature, it was fun, goofy reading. My biggest complaint is that only four or five of the rules are actually spelled out in the book.--a few more would have demonstrated that the title was not simply a conceit. I don't think that the author ever made up a list of rules. The author's bio states that he has worked on more than 80 feature films, including writing and directing, but this lacks the polish I'd expect from a film professional. ( )

I'm not quite sure how you categorise Troy Cook's debut novel 47 RULES OF HIGHLY EFFECTIVE BANK ROBBERS, but hey, who cares . . . It's a cracking good read.

Yes, it's faintly ludicrous, with some crazy characters, but that's the fun. If you like Carl Hiassen and Steve Brewer, you'll enjoy this caper, which has energy and pizzazz. Cook, who can write crackling dialogue and tell a damn good yarn, keeps it just this side of the reader being afflicted with the dreaded rolling eyes syndrome!

Dwayne Evans is a barking mad bank robber, with an opinion on everything under the sun, and the man behind the said 47 rules . . . He also has a pretty daughter Tara, who's been accompanying him on heists since the age of nine. But she's finally got fed-up of the lifestyle, the risks and her nutty dad, and wants to break away.

And then she meets Max Williams, the son of a small-town sheriff. Dad has anger management issues, and has piles of self-help books at his fingertips. Tara and Max decide they're going to disappear into the sunset together.

This is where the fun starts. Mix in irate parents, a Vietnam vet holed up in his own little world and who performs dodgy operations, and a load of FBI agents on the trail -- one of whom is an extremely stupid rich boy with a senator daddy to indulge him -- and you have a mad chase to end them all round Arizona.

Cook is apparently a scriptwriter. After this I predict a flourishing career in genre fiction as well! Take this to the beach with you, or just recline in your front room with it and enjoy the crazy, switchback ride. I took it on a long train journey, and resented having to get off at my stop, as I was enjoying the book so much!

Reviewed by Sharon Wheeler, June 2006
also
Tara wasn't raised like other children. Her life didn't involve Barbie &
Ken, instead she was playing with Smith & Wesson at a young age. Her father
raised her to be a bank robber and she has become pretty good at it. So far
they have managed to stay ahead of the law using the 47 rules that her
father had come up with. Now she is twenty-two and ready to move out on her
own but her lunatic father is not keen on that idea and he will go to any
lengths to keep her with him.

If that was the only problem in her life things might be ok but it's not.
Her and daddy dearest have scored their biggest heist ever in a little town
in the Southwest. Now they find themselves being pursued by the local
sheriff, deadly ex-partners and a task force of federal agents who would
love nothing more than to catch Tara and her dad red handed. But as if that
wasn't enough that's when Tara falls for the son of the local sheriff and
things just go from bad to worse quicker than you can say stick 'em up.

Troy Cook has written a wonderful debut novel with an unusual premise. From
the very first sentence the story draws you along on a wild crazy joyride
thru the lives of some very quirky characters who are a delight to read
about. You'll find yourself cheering for some of these shifty and shady
criminal characters in spite of yourself. For when they are good they are
very good but when they are bad they are even better.

47 Rules of Highly Effective Bank Robbers is a high speed adrenaline filled
crime caper novel of the 1st degree. The writing is well done, the
characters are quirky, unusual and exceedingly delightful and the plot
moves along with the speed of a freight train. Cook has also done a
resplendent job of weaving delightfully droll bits of humor throughout the
story with a deft hand. A terrific debut novel from an author I know we will
be hearing more from.

This review is also posted on the Spinetingler Review site:
http://www.spinetinglermag.com/review...
Andrea :) ( )